A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels - Volume 05 eBook

the taxes of each province and district were regulated
in proportion to the number of Indian and Spanish
inhabitants which they respectively contained; and,
in forming their arrangements, the president and judges
carefully inquired into the productions of each province;
such as its mines of gold and silver, the quantity
of its cattle, and other things of a similar nature,
the taxes on which were all regulated according to
circumstances in the most reasonable and equitable
manner.

Having thus reduced the affairs of the kingdom to
good order, all the unemployed soldiers being sent
off to different places, some to Chili, others to
the new province on the Rio Plata, and others to various
new discoveries under different commanders, and all
who remained in Peru being established in various
occupations by which they might maintain themselves,
according to their inclinations and capacities, mostly
in the concerns of the mines, the president resolved
to return, into Spain, pursuant to the authority he
had received from his majesty to do so when he might
see proper. One of his most powerful motives for
returning to Spain proceeded from his anxiety to preserve
the large treasure he had amassed for the king:
as, having no military force for its protection, he
was afraid such great riches might excite fresh troubles
and commotions in the country. Having made all
the necessary preparations for his voyage, and embarked
his treasure, without communicating his intentions
hitherto to any one, he assembled the magistrates of
Lima, and informed them of his intended voyage.
They started many objections to this measure; representing
the inconveniencies which might arise from his departure,
before his majesty had sent out some other person to
replace him, either in the capacity of viceroy or president.
He answered all their objections, stating that the
court of royal audience, and the governors of the
different provinces which they were authorized to
nominate, were sufficient to dispense justice and to
regulate all affairs, they at last consented; and
immediately embarking, he set sail for Panama.

Just before he sailed and while on board ship, the
president made a new partition of such lands and Indians
as had become vacant since the former distribution
which he made at Cuzco. The number of vacant
repartimientos was considerable, in consequence of
the death of Centeno, De Royas, the licentiate Carvajal,
and several other persons of rank; and as there were
many candidates who demanded loudly to be preferred,
he chose to defer the repartition till after he had
embarked, as he was unable to satisfy all the claimants,
and was unwilling to expose himself to the clamours
of those whom he was unable to gratify. Having
settled all these distributions, he left the different
deeds signed and sealed with the secretary of the
royal audience, with strict injunctions that they
should not be opened until eight days after his departure.
Every thing being finally concluded, he set sail from
the port of Callao in December 1549, accompanied by
the Provincial of the Dominicans and Jerom de Aliaga,
who were appointed agents for the affairs of Peru at
the court of Spain. He was likewise accompanied
by several gentlemen and other considerable persons,
who meant to return to Spain, carrying with them all
the wealth they had been able to acquire.